Ramesh Kumar to be appointed as Speaker

Bengaluru: Congress sources have said that six-time MLA K.R. Ramesh Kumar will be appointed as the Legislative Assembly Speaker. He had also served as the Speaker during the H.D. Deve Gowda and the J.H. Patel governments in the State. Gowda has apparently agreed to the choice of Kumar for the Speaker’s post. Kumar had earlier served as the Health and Family Welfare Minister in the Siddaramaiah government.

For the Deputy Speaker post which will be taken by the JD(S), the names of K. Srinivas Gowda and A.T. Ramaswamy have been suggested. Gowda is the MLA from Kolar and Ramaswamy from Arkalgud constituency. The elections of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker will be held on Thursday.

All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa may be elected as the second Deputy Chief Minister, as a ploy to appease the Lingayat votebank. If not, he is also expected to be given a ministerial berth. But, the coalition has decided to have a blend of experience and youth in the Council of Ministers.

The Congress is expected to give ministerial berths to first-time MLAs Laxmi R. Hebbalkar, Roopa Shashidhar, Shivanand S. Patil, N.H. Shivashankara Reddy, Rajashekhar Patil Humnabad, B. Nagendra, Amaregouda P. Bayyapur, R. Narendra, Yashvantharaygouda Vittalagouda Patil and two Independents H. Nagesh from Mulbagal and R. Shankar from Ranebennur. Senior MLAs like D.K. Shivakumar, K.J. George, Roshan Baig, Ramalinga Reddy, H.K. Patil, S.R. Patil, V. Muiyappa and Satish Jarkiholi have also been promised ministership. President of KPCC Dinesh Gundu Rao is also expected to be given a position in the Council of Ministers.